An agency executes marketing tactics. A fractional CMO decides which tactics are worth executing, sets the strategy, leads the team, and owns the revenue outcome. Most professional service providers who are disappointed with agency results do not need a different agency — they need marketing leadership above it.
They solve different problems. An agency is the right choice when you know exactly what to execute and need hands to do it. A fractional CMO is the right choice when you are unsure what to execute, or when execution is already happening without producing results.
Yes, and that is one of the most common arrangements. The fractional CMO sets strategy and priorities, then manages the agency against them, which usually makes the existing agency relationship significantly more productive.
Often, yes. The fractional CMO provides direction and accountability; the agency provides execution capacity. Problems arise when a business buys execution without direction.